Aerial railway



(No ModeL) D. OLMSTBD. AERIAL RAILWAY.

Patented Oct. 30, 1883.

WITNESSES \4 NITED STATES DAVID R. OLMSTED, OF PROPHETSTOIVN, ILLINOIS.

AERIAL RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 287,458, dated October30, 1883. Application filed February 2, 1883. (No model.)

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID R. OLMSTED, a citizen of the United States,residing at Prophetstown, in the county of WVhiteside and State ofIllinois, have invented a new and useful Aerial Railway andBalloon-Guide, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to aerial navigation; and it consists,substantially, in the combination, with a balloon or other aerial vesselor conveyance, of a guide-track arranged above the ground, and a trucktraveling on the said track and connected with the aerial vessel, all aswill be hereinafter more fully specified, and particularly pointed outin the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of myimproved aerial railway. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section thereof,taken through the balloon and track. Fig. 3 is a detail transversesectional view of the track, with an end view of the track in position.Fig. 4 is a detail sectional View, taken through the car of the aerialvessel.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the ground-track, whichcomprises the supporting-pillars B, and the rails C, secured thereon.These rails O are formed T-shaped in crosssection, and have their headsprovided with longitudinal downwardly-extending flanges D, arranged oneat each side the head E, to serve as an auxiliary track.

F is the truck to which the aerial vessel is connected. This truck iscomposed of a simple frame, G, carrying a top wheel or roller, H, thatruns on the head of the rail, and two auxiliary under-flanged wheels, II, that run on the auxiliary flanges D D. The frame of the truckcomprises an arch, J, over the roller H, lateral beams K, projectingfrom the bottom of the arch and carrying at their outer end verticalbeams L L, horizontal beams N, carrying the rollers or wheels I I, andsupported by the beams L and diagonal braces M M, extending from thelower ends of the arch down to' the outer ends of the bottom beams N. Byreason of the track being elevated, the truck can travel thereon, as itis carried by the aerial vessel, without liability of encountering anyobstacles, and the rope that connects the aerial vessel with the truckcan sag without danger of engaging fences and other surfaceobstructions. Any sag of the said rope or line can, however, be taken upby mechanism in the vessel, as will be hereinafter specified O is thecable or rope, which is preferably formed of wire strands, that connectsthe truck and aerial vessel. The cable has a swiveled connection, 1?,with the arch of the truck, and

passes through a guide-tube or casing, Q, in

the bottom of the car R of the vessel S, and is secured to a drum, T, inthe said car. This winding-drum is provided with an operatingcrank, U,by which the drum can be turned to wind the balloon down when desired.The

drum is provided with a pawl-and-ratchet mechanism, V, by which it canbe locked in position to hold the balloon at any desired height from thetrack.

IV is abrake-lever, adapted to be operated by the foot, and to act 011the drum T, to prevent the too sudden rising of the balloon, which mightdamage the track. p

The operation and advantages of my invention will be readily understoodby reference to the foregoing description and annexed drawings. As theaerial vessel travels, it carries the truck along the guide-track, 'andis thereby retained from deviation out of the desired course. the truckis supported 011 the track by the roller H, and the balloon is preventedfrom rising by the auxiliary wheels I I. The flanges of these latterwheels retain the truck on the track.

I amaware that aerial railways and balloonguides have been heretoforeconstructed with a guide-track formed of a single Trail, on whichtravels a truck carrying a roller running on the head of the rail, andtwo side rollers running under the flanges, and a connecting-ropeextending from the said truck and passing through the bottom of the carand wound upon a drum. Therefore I do not wish to be understood asclaiming, broadly, this construction, my claim being for my own novelconstruction and arrangement of parts.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination of the T-shaped track havingthe head of the rail provided with 1ongitudinal downwardlyextendingflanges at its When the cord or cable 0 is slack.-

'tube in the bottom of the car,

sides, ing its frame consisting of a top arch, laterally projecting topand bottom beams, and beams or braces connecting the lateral beams, saidframe carrying a main roller or wheel under the arch, and two auxiliaryWheels at the bottom, a cable or rope connected to the said arch, and anaerial vessel or conveyance secured to the said cable, asset forth.

2. The combination, with .the guide-truck, to which is swiveled theconnecting cable or rope, of the aerial Vessel having the guidethe drumto which the cable is secured arranged over this that form auxiliaryrails, the truck havtube, the paWl-and-ratchet mechanism arranged inconnection with the drum, and the brake-lever W, fulcrumed to the floorof the car, and arranged to be operated by the foot" DAVID RINALDOOLMSTED.

Vitnesses:

GEORGE XV. OLMSTED, 7M. MATHIs.

